Take Me Away
by PhoebeColeTurnerHalliwell
Summary: Prue moves back into the manor to act as guardian to her sisters after Grams dies. As she struggles to keep the family together, the sisters try to deal with all the changes in their lives, and try not to kill each other in the process. All 4 sisters.
1. How To Deal

A/N: Welcome to my new story. Don't worry, Walking Through Fire will still be updated regularly. I couldn't get this idea out of my head, so this is the result. Hope you all like!

* * *

_Chapter One_

"Andy, would you stop? We're going to wake my sisters up," Prue complained, pushing her boyfriend away from her.

They were laying on the sofa in the living room of Halliwell manor, a place Prue definitely didn't want to be. Once she had graduated high school she tried to run as far away from this place as possible, wanting to start her own life with Andy and become a professional photographer. And especially to get away from Grams and her younger sisters.

That had all changed three months ago when Gram's heart had finally given way and she'd had a heart attack. Since Victor Halliwell was nowhere to be found and their mother had died a long time ago, Prue was the only one who could step in as guardian for Piper, Phoebe, and Paige until they turned eighteen.

She had been immensely grateful to Andy for coming with her. She honestly didn't know if she would have gotten by if it hadn't been for his support.

"So let them wake up. They need to get up for school soon anyway," Andy murmured, brushing his lips to hers, refusing to back away.

Prue let out a stifled laugh, doing her best to keep it quiet. "Yeah, in about seven hours. C'mon, Andy. We need to get some sleep. Their first day of school is tomorrow."

Andy pulled away, slightly annoyed. "So? It's not like they need us to walk them inside. I think they can handle high school."

"I know that, but...please Andy. What kind of example am I setting to them?" Prue asked, managing to sit up a little bit, though it was difficult since she was pinned down by her boyfriend's weight.

"Who cares? They're asleep. Which means that we're..."

They were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening, and Prue's heart skipped a beat. Both Andy and Prue shot up from the sofa and Andy glanced at Prue, worried.

Andy went to the bookshelf to the shotgun that he kept hidden behind the last book on the bottom shelf, but it turned out not to be necessary when Phoebe came into view, doing her best to stay quiet, thinking that Prue and Andy were upstairs asleep.

"Phoebe!" Prue hissed, causing her younger sister to jump about a foot in the air.

Stifling a laugh, she turned her expression serious when a guilty-looking Phoebe turned around to meet Prue face-to-face.

"Hi, Prue! What are you doing up?" fifteen-year-old Phoebe asked pleasantly, her high-pitched tone indicating that she knew she was busted and was doing her best to cover it up.

"Apparently waiting for you. You're supposed to be in bed," Prue pointed out obviously, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart, still thumping madly from thinking someone had tried to break into their house.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "So are you. But I see I just interrupted something _very _important, so if you'll excuse me..."

"Oh no you don't! Don't change the subject. You have school tomorrow! What are you doing sneaking in at the middle of the night?" Prue demanded, determined not to let Phoebe get away with her tricks like she most likely had with Grams.

"None of your business," Phoebe threw back, heading up the stairs.

"It was Cole, wasn't it?"

"No!" Phoebe answered, a little too quickly.

_Busted, _Prue thought with a small splurge of pride. "Phoebe, I don't want you seeing him anymore."

"Why?" Phoebe snapped, her voice raising.

Prue winced, hoping Piper and Paige hadn't woken up. It was bad enough she had no control over Phoebe. She wasn't in the mood to get into another fight with her sisters.

"Because he's a bad influence. Can we talk about this later?" Prue whispered, angry.

Phoebe rolled her eyes again and continued up the stairs. "No, this conversation is over. You aren't the boss of me, even if you _are _my guardian!"

Her footsteps gradually became fainter, and Prue was grateful that Phoebe at least had the sense to stay quiet upstairs. She turned to face Andy, who had stayed quiet during the short fight, not eager to get in the middle again.

"Tell me what I'm doing wrong, Andy. I'm failing miserably at this," she cried and fell into his arms.

Andy stroked her back, and Prue was grateful that he didn't say anything. She took great comfort in his presence alone, and he knew that he didn't need to say anything in order to make her feel better.

"You're doing the best you can. Phoebe's just going through a rebellious faze. If I remember correctly, we went through that ourselves..."

Prue smiled, recalling her teenage years, which weren't all that long ago. "I think I snuck out at least once a week."

"Don't worry about Phoebe, Prue. She may be a little wild now, but she'll come around. It happens when maturity sets in," Andy reassured her, settling them both back on the couch.

"That'll be a _long _time from now," Prue mumbled.

Andy laughed. "She's fifteen, Prue. That's a hard age."

Prue shrugged. "Well, so is twenty. And it's even harder when you're left to raise your teenaged siblings all by yourself. Let's go to bed. Okay?"

"Okay." Andy wrapped his arms around her and led her up the stairs to the bedroom they shared, the one that used to be Grams's.

* * *

The shrill sound of the alarm clock startled Prue out of her dreams, and for a second she forgot where she was. But the harsh reality of being back in the Halliwell Manor snapped Prue back to reality, and she threw her head back against her pillow, wanting to go back to her dreams where she was away from all this.

"Prue? We need to get up," Andy murmured from beside her, already starting to get out of bed.

Prue groaned. "Five more minutes?"

Andy laughed. "I think it'll take twice that long to get your sisters up."

"I'll get Piper. You get Phoebe and Paige," Prue said in response, somehow managing to crawl out of bed.

Andy nodded in response and Prue shuffled to her seventeen-year-old sister's room, shocked to find that Piper was not only out of bed but dressed and fixing her long brown hair in a ponytail. She looked up as Prue entered.

"Hey. Did you just get up?" she asked knowingly, turning her attention back to her reflection.

"Am I that obvious?" Prue asked as she yawned. She seated herself on the edge of Piper's bed.

Piper laughed. "Well, that and I know you and Andy were up late last night."

Prue threw her hands up in the air in agitation. "Do I have no privacy in this house?"

"Oh give yourself a break, Prue. Paige, Phoebe, and I kind of take up a lot of your time. You and Andy don't really have time to yourselves. We know its the only time you two have alone, but its okay. It's not like we spy on you," Piper explained, and Prue saw Piper's wisdom that went way beyond her years.

_She's been through so much and she tries to hide how much it gets to her, _Prue thought, wishing that Piper could be like other seventeen-year-olds.

"Yeah well, I appreciate that," Prue stated, standing up and starting to make her way to the kitchen. She needed coffee in order to function and deal with Phoebe and Paige.

She considered helping Andy attempt to get the two youngest Halliwells up, but decided against it. Phoebe and Paige liked Andy and usually listened to him. Plus, Prue wasn't really in the mood to talk to Phoebe, especially after last night.

She made the usual pot of coffee and poured herself a cup, not bothering with any cream or sugar. It was stronger black, and she needed all the energy she could muster.

Piper came down a minute later, looking ready for school already. She got a mug out of the cupboard and poured herself a cup then sat down across from Prue.

"So how late did Phoebe get home last night?" Piper asked.

Prue frowned in shock. "You knew she snuck out last night?"

Piper shrugged, her way of saying it was no big secret. "She's been sneaking out to see Cole ever since last year. You know the only way to get her to stop is to allow Cole to come over here."

"I can't do that, Piper. I don't trust him. He's a bad influence," Prue said at once, sounding like a miniature version of Grams and hating herself for it.

"Yeah, but at least you could keep an eye on them. You'd know what they're doing."

Prue gaped at her. "You don't mean they're doing...." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, too disgusted.

"I don't think so, but you know Phoebe. She's unpredictable and doesn't exactly have the greatest reputation at school," Piper pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's just so..._disgusting! _She's my little sister, you know?"

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about me, would you?" Paige asked as she entered the kitchen wearing a pink spaghetti-strap shirt and a black miniskirt that would most definitely get her dress-coded.

Prue looked at her in amusement. "You don't think you're actually leaving the house in that, do you?" she asked her thirteen-year-old sister.

Paige frowned. "Get with it, Prue. All the cool kids dress like this."

"Then I guess you won't be cool. Why can't you act your age for once, Paige?" Prue asked, already exhausted again.

"That's not fair! Phoebe gets to dress like this!" Paige whined, looking on the verge of tears.

"Well, Phoebe is in high school, and she doesn't dress like that. Black is more her color recently," Prue pointed out. "Now go change before the bus gets here."

Paige wrinkled her nose. "The bus is for losers. Andy said he'd give us a ride."

"Whatever. Go change," Prue ordered, her words coming out harsher than she had intended.

"God, Prue, when did you get to be so lame?" Paige snapped and stomped back upstairs, making her anger known throughout the manor.

Prue sighed in agitation and put her head in her hands. "How did Grams ever do this?" she asked no one in particular.

Even though she couldn't see her, she knew Piper was looking at her sympathetically. "Well, even she had her moments. But we're teenagers, Prue. And you're only twenty. We don't exactly see you as a parent. You used to actually be our sister."

"But what choice do I have, Piper? I have to at least appear to have some control, otherwise the state will deem me as an unfit guardian and they'll take you guys away. And Phoebe and Paige aren't exactly making this any easier," Prue stated.

"Just give it time." That was the brilliant piece of advice Piper could give her.

"Thanks," Prue mumbled, just as Phoebe shuffled into the kitchen. She got down a mug and began to pour herself some coffee. Prue would have argued, but she no longer had the strength. Let them do what they wanted. See if she cared anymore.

"Wow, Prue, you look awful. Did you get any sleep last night?" Phoebe wiggled her eyebrows, their argument last night apparently forgotten.

Prue glared at her. "As a matter of fact I did. But that doesn't mean this isn't an unethical time to be awake."

"Ugh, tell me about it. I don't think I've been awake this early since I was at that party..." she trailed off, eyeing Prue. "Never mind. I don't think you want to hear the end of that particular story."

"I think you're right." Prue finished off her coffee then stood up. She left Piper and Phoebe sitting alone at the table and went upstairs to get dressed.

She passed Paige and Phoebe's room, noticing that Paige wasn't making a move to change. She was applying make-up, but Prue didn't bother to stop her since she'd probably just find a shorter skirt to wear.

Instead she walked into her room, where Andy had just put on a dark blue shirt that showed off his muscles quite nicely. He smiled when she entered. "How are you this morning?"

"Tired. I was want to crawl back in bed and never wake up."

Andy laughed. "Somehow, I don't doubt it. But once your sisters are at school, we'll _finally _be alone..."

"I wish. But I have a class this afternoon. Besides, don't you have to be at the Academy this morning?" she asked, reluctantly pulling away from him and heading toward the closet.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we can't have a few minutes. We should take advantage of this house being teenager-free."

"Don't tempt me," Prue muttered, finally picking out a green summer dress and matching flip flops.

Prue and Andy finished dressing and a minute later Andy went downstairs. Prue went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. Then she went back into the bedroom and started applying her own makeup. When that was done she took a deep breath, willing to collect herself to stay patient with her sisters, reminding herself that this situation was new to all of them and they just had to get settled into a normal routine before things calmed down a bit.

When she went back downstairs, she nearly ran into Paige, who was scrambling to get out of Prue's sight so she wouldn't notice that she hadn't changed.

"We'll talk about that later!" Prue called, but by that time the door was already closed behind her.

Andy came up behind her, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "She'll be fine," he said before he, too, was out the door.

Prue took a moment to appreciate Andy and how much he helped her before turning to face Piper and Phoebe, who were watching her expectantly.

"Are you giving us a ride, or do we get to take your car?" Phoebe asked hopefully, her backpack hanging from one shoulder.

"Fat chance. I'll drive," Prue said as she grabbed her purse and car keys. She opened the door and motioned for Piper and Phoebe to leave before her. Once they were outside she followed them, locking the door behind her.

"You know, we should get another car. Piper and I could share it and take it to school, that way you don't have to get up and take us," Phoebe pointed out as she got into the backseat of Prue's black Mazda.

Piper scoffed. "If we could afford it."

"We could if we sold Grams's car," Phoebe countered.

"No, we're not selling her car!" Prue exclaimed, causing her younger sisters to stare at her. "I mean, all the grief counselors advise against big changes right away. Maybe next year," she finished, wanting to make up for her little outburst.

Phoebe shrugged and Piper turned away, this particular conversation over. The rest of the ride to Baker High School was filled with awkward silence, and Prue was glad when she pulled into the parking lot.

Phoebe jumped out at once, grabbing her backpack and slamming the door shut behind her. She hurried away without waiting for Piper, who was taking her time getting out.

"See you at three," she said, shooting her older sister a pointed glance before following Phoebe to the main building.

Prue sighed, grateful that Piper and Phoebe were gone and sped away back to the manor where, hopefully, she could figure out a way to get through this alive and in one piece.


	2. First Day Blues

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate it!

**PhoebeColefan: **I plan on more Cole/Phoebe moments, as well as Piper/Leo and Prue/Andy. Hope you like this chapter!

**Draco's-Loyal-Longing: **Thanks! Hope you like this next chapter!

**Emmelie: **Thank you, glad you like it!

**Lyra Cullen: **Thanks. Hope you like this chapter!

**xcgirl3: **Thanks! I tried to make this story a little different and make it believable at the same time. Hope you like this next chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Two_

"Hey Paige!" Glen, Paige's best friend exclaimed as soon as she loomed into view. "Nice skirt."

Paige laughed. "You're always the first to notice."

"Just don't let Miss Bradley see it. She has it out for you," Glen pointed out, referring to the principal of Baker Middle School.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Last year was all about learning to avoid her. You don't think I forgot that easily, do you?"

Glen smiled and walked beside her up the steps to the main building. Paige suddenly wished she had decided to ditch. All around her, students and teachers alike were giving her looks of sympathy. Some looked as though they wanted to go up to her and offer their condolences for her loss. But none of them did, which made her even more grateful for Glen. At least he wasn't treating her any differently.

"So, I got my cousin to hit me up with cigarettes last night. Want to smoke one during lunch?" Glen asked.

"No thanks, Glen. Aren't we a little too young to smoke? Most people wait until they're at least in high school first," Paige pointed out, disgusted.

"Well, I just thought you could use something to take your mind off...everything."

Paige smiled. "Thanks, but I don't need to fill my lungs with smoke in order to take my mind off my problems."

They were interrupted by the bell ringing, signaling that first hour was about to begin. Glen took Paige's hand in his and led her to their English class, the only class they had together.

Paige intentionally avoided everyone's gaze. She knew they were all trying to catch her eye so that she might know just how sorry they felt for her. It was bad enough she'd received those looks when Grams was still alive. Now that she was gone, it was like she was one big pity party.

Glen and Paige took two seats near the back, doing their best to remain conspicuous. First hour hadn't even started yet and already Paige wanted to go home. She hoped her teachers wouldn't assign them any homework because she _so _wasn't in the mood to do it. Her mind was still in summer mode, and as depressing as this summer had been, at least she could go off and get away from it all. When she was at school she was trapped.

"Good morning, class!" the teacher exclaimed once the last bell rang.

Hardly anyone answered her, but the teacher didn't seem put off by it. "Welcome to English. My name is Mrs. Harding, and I think that once we get to know each other, we're going to get along just fine."

They were interrupted by the door opening and a girl entered holding a piece of paper. She handed it to Mrs. Harding, who read it then looked to the students who were waiting with baited breath to see who was already in trouble.

"Paige Halliwell?"

Paige closed her eyes and suppressed a sigh. Somehow she had known this was going to happen. She just didn't think it was going to happen so quickly.

She tentatively raised her hand,and her English teacher smiled warmly at her, her way of saying there was nothing to worry about. "The school counselor would like to see you. Go ahead and take your things."

Paige got up and cast a furtive glance in Glen's direction before getting up, humiliated that she had been summoned on the first day to talk about her problems.

_Did the whole world know my life story? _Paige thought bitterly as she accepted the syllabus Mrs. Harding handed to her, and followed the girl to the counselor's office.

The girl didn't talk to her, and Paige was glad for that. She definitely wasn't in the mood for chit chat, and that was exactly what she would tell the counselor.

When they got to the guidance counselor's office the girl went to sit at an empty table and read a book while Paige sat down on the waiting room sofa, feeling awkward and annoyed. She wondered whether Piper and Phoebe were getting this kind of treatment at the high school.

_Probably, _she thought. _They're just as messed up as I am. _

"Paige Halliwell?" a young woman's soft voice said from the entryway to the hallway that led to other offices.

Paige looked up and saw a woman who looked to be in her late twenties with her long dark brown hair up in a tight bun. She wore a simple white blouse and a black skirt that went to her knees. She was beautiful, and Paige wondered what she was doing being the guidance counselor at some middle school.

But she stood up anyway and walked up to her.

The woman gave her a large, warm smile. "I'm Julie Walker, and I want to talk to you for a couple minutes. Is that okay?"

_What am I going to do, say no? _"Yeah, that's fine."

Paige followed her down the hall and into the last office on the left. Ms. Walker offered her the stiff plastic chair in front of the desk while she took her place behind the desk.

"I know you've probably been getting this a lot, but I wanted to give you the chance to express what you've been feeling. That is, if you're comfortable doing so. I know we don't know each other, but I'd like to change that, and I want to offer you a comfortable environment to speak your mind and remember that nothing you say will leave this room," Julie Walker began, sounding truly sincere in her words.

Paige considered this. She looked up into the woman's big brown eyes and actually wanted to tell her just how she felt. How lost and confused she felt, how scared she was. But it just felt strange to confess all this to a woman she'd just met.

So she stayed silent.

Ms. Walker looked down. "I lost my mother too. When I was five-years-old. She got into a car crash. The other driver was drunk and ran a red light. I was never quite the same after that. My father did his best by me, but he was so lost without my mother that he immersed himself in work. I acted out when I was your age trying to get his attention, but all I did was get myself into a whole lot of trouble. I want to spare you all that."

Paige frowned, wondering if the counselor was actually telling her the truth or if she was making all this up in an attempt to reach out to her.

"I lost my mom when I was a baby. It's not the same thing," Paige admitted.

"I know. But I do know what you're going through, especially after your grandmother..."

Paige cut her off. "No, you don't. You don't know the first thing about me. What happened to Grams...Whatever. I don't want to talk about it. Please just leave me alone."

And with that Paige grabbed her backpack and left the office, heading for the school gate.

* * *

"Hey Phoebe!"

"How was your summer?"

All around her people were giving her fake smiles as though they were all her best friends. Phoebe didn't even give them a second glance as she strode by, her friend Ramona at her heels.

She was looking for one person, the one person who could actually succeed in making her feel better.

When she spotted Cole Turner, her heart gave way and she had to try really hard not to break out into a run to meet him.

He was standing by the last row of lockers with his arms crossed, his usual black leather jacket draped across his finely tuned shoulders. He looked too old to still be in high school much less a sophomore, but it just made him appear even more mysterious. He had that element of danger about him that made Phoebe drawn to him even more.

He flashed her a toothy grin as she came up next to him. "Hey."

"Hey." He leaned down to kiss her cheek and she looked sharply at Ramona to see if she was watching them.

She was, but quickly turned away when she noticed Phoebe looking at her.

Phoebe rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Ramona was always following Phoebe around. Cole didn't even pay her any attention, so Phoebe decided that she wouldn't either.

"So was Prue awake when you got home?" Cole asked as they pulled away.

Phoebe sighed. "Yeah. She was making out with Andy and caught me. But what's she gonna do, ground me?"

Cole laughed. "I'd love to see her try."

"That's the problem. She thinks that now that she's our guardian she can boss us around. But she grew up with us, you know? She never listened to Grams when we were growing up, so how can she expect us to listen to her?"

She was rambling, but she couldn't help it. She needed to rant to someone, and Cole never missed an opportunity to join her. Especially when it came to Prue.

"You've only got two more years with her. Then it'll just be us," Cole reminded her, wrapping his arms around her stomach.

Phoebe sighed. "I wish I could speed up time."

The bell chose that moment to ring, and Phoebe groaned. "What class do you have first?" she asked Cole.

By this time Ramona had long since left, probably to find Todd or Rick. She reluctantly pulled out of Cole's grip and unfolded her class schedule from her pants pocket.

Cole grinned mischievously. "A free period."

Matching his grin, Phoebe stuffed her schedule back into her pocket. "I like where this is going."

Taking her arm, he led her away from the mob of students. "Just follow me."

As they made their way down the hallway toward the double doors, Phoebe caught sight of Piper, examining her schedule to figure out which way she needed to go. Piper looked up at that moment and caught Phoebe's eye. When Piper saw them moving the opposite way towards the doors she frowned and gave Phoebe a knowing look.

Phoebe winked to her older sister and turned away. She could only imagine what Piper was thinking, but she knew that she wouldn't rat her out. Piper may have had some popularity issues, but she wasn't a snitch. She was the sister that Phoebe trusted the most.

Cole managed to get them to avoid the teachers and administrators who were monitoring the hallways watching for any ditchers. They hid out by the storage closet, praying that the janitor wouldn't show up and bust them.

Luckily he didn't, and when the final bell rang the teachers and office administrators dispersed, leaving the hallways empty and clear.

"C'mon." Cole grabbed her hand once again and led her quickly and quietly out the doors.

They waited until they were a few yards away from the school grounds before stopping. When they realized they were away from the prison that was school, they laughed.

"Thanks. I didn't think I would've been able to get through the day," Phoebe said, realizing this was the truth as soon as she said it.

"My pleasure. I never turn down an opportunity to get out of school."

"Well, I'm grateful that you did. With all those people giving me looks of sympathy and fake smiles all day I think someone would've been punched by the end of the day," Phoebe went on. She knew she was rambling again, but Cole was the only person she felt comfortable doing it around. She was the only person she truly felt comfortable letting her guard down with.

Cole laughed, touching his hand to her cheek. "I don't doubt it. Let's go, I have the perfect place to take you."

* * *

Piper read the syllabus for her first period calculus class and wanted to kill herself. She'd had the misfortune to get the hardest and meanest math teacher at Baker High School. It was only the first day and already he was going over limits and giving them as much homework as possible without getting into trouble.

She had taken out her notebook and began to take notes. She was the only person who seemed to be. Most had their heads in their hands, appearing to pay attention when in reality they were drifting off into unconsciousness.

One of those people happened to be Piper's long-time boyfriend Leo Wyatt. He, unfortunately, was sitting at the back of the class since the teacher had put them all in alphabetical order. Piper had lucked out and gotten a seat up front so she figured that she might as well take notes so that she wouldn't get grilled her first day. That and she wanted to do everything in her power to get into college and away from her family once and for all.

By the time the class was over Piper already had enough homework to last her the entire year. The fact that she would just be even more tomorrow depressed her to no end. She stuffed her notebook and math textbook into her backpack and stood up, nearly bumping into someone in the process.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, only to feel even more like an idiot when she realized it was Leo.

Leo laughed. "It's okay, Piper. It's just me."

Piper breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that she hadn't at least made a fool out of herself in front of Missy or some other person who had it out for her.

"Where are you headed next?" Leo asked, helping her to straighten up and walking her out of the classroom.

Piper glanced at her schedule. "English. What about you?"

Leo's face fell. "History."

Disappointment filled Piper for a moment, but it was replaced by a feeling of relief that they at least had one class together.

"Want me to walk you to your class? They aren't that far apart," Leo offered.

Piper nodded and smiled. "That would be great."

They made their way amidst the hoards of students scrambling to get to their classes on time, and Piper hadn't realized just how much she'd missed Leo. He had been away visiting relatives over the summer, but he'd come rushing back when he'd learned what happened to Grams. She honestly didn't know how she would get through this school day without him.

"How are you coping?" he asked.

Piper shrugged. "As best I can."

"And your sisters?"

Piper let out a bitter laugh. "Well, Phoebe's ditching, and I wouldn't be surprised if Paige was doing the same thing. That's how they deal with their problems now. They run away from them."

Leo gave Piper's shoulder a tight squeeze. "Come on, Piper, cut them a little slack. They've lost a lot. You all have."

"Yeah, but you don't see me running away," Piper pointed out.

They came to a stop by their classrooms and Leo smiled. "That's because you're one of the bravest people I know. You can get through this, Piper. I know you can."

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before disappearing into his history class.

His words echoing in her mind, she entered her English class, her newfound courage the only thing still keeping her strong.

By the end of the day she was thoroughly exhausted, but she felt a strange surge of pride at having braved the first day of school and getting out in one piece. As she saw Phoebe and Cole emerging from the building as though they'd been there all day, she was determined not to let them bring her down.

Prue's Mazda came into sight a moment later and Phoebe went to stand beside Piper, giving her a pleading look not to tell Piper that she had ditched.

"You owe me," Piper breathed as they climbed into the car.

"Owe you for what?" Prue asked nonchalantly, turning the stereo off so that she could hear her sisters better.

"Um...for giving me lunch money. I sorta forgot to bring some," Phoebe blurted out quickly, covering up what would've been the start to a seriously loud fight.

Prue gave Phoebe a pointed look from the rearview mirror but didn't push it, which Piper was grateful for. She hated lying to her sisters, but figured this one was in the best interest of all of them.

"So after we get Paige, I was thinking that we could go to Baskin Robbins and spoil our dinner. You know, as a reward for getting through the first day. I don't know if I would've been able to do it," Prue said as she drove the two blocks to Baker Middle School.

"Cool!" Phoebe exclaimed while Piper remained silent. She honestly didn't know how Phoebe could lie through her teeth. It bothered her how good a liar Phoebe was becoming, and knew it had a lot to do with Cole. But she also knew that if she said anything negative about Cole to Phoebe, Phoebe would probably never speak to her again. Plus, she knew it would be forgotten as soon as Paige got into the car.

When they got to the parking lot of the middle school, they were shocked to find Paige and her best friend Glen kissing by the flagpole.

"Paige!" Prue exclaimed, causing the two thirteen-year-olds to jump.

Paige shot them all her famous death glare and whispered something to Glen. He nodded and walked away while Paige headed toward the car. She got into the backseat beside Phoebe and crossed her arms angrily.

"Did you _have _to do that?" she demanded.

To Piper's surprise Phoebe burst out laughing. "And get that reaction from you? Totally worth it."

"Phoebe!" Prue, Piper, and Paige all snapped.

But Phoebe was not put off. "What? It was! You guys agree with me!" she said to Prue and Piper.

Piper rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the passenger side window.

"So how was school?" Prue asked, changing the subject.

"Fine," they all replied.

Prue waited for them to elaborate, but when her younger sisters didn't, she sighed. "I can see that. Paige, we're going to Baskin Robbins for ice cream. That okay with you?"

Piper imagined her youngest sister nodding from the backseat. "That's fine."

The ride to the ice cream parlor couldn't have been more tense. They met Andy there, and got their ice cream. When they finished they split up on the ride home, Prue taking Piper while Andy took Phoebe and Paige.

When Prue was alone with Piper in the Mazda she turned to her. "So now that they're gone, how was school really?"

Piper sighed. "Awful. If it wasn't for Leo, I don't know if I would've survived it."

She was being a bit overdramatic, but it got her point across.

"And Phoebe? How did she do?"

"I...I didn't really see her. All her classes were away from mine," Piper lied, doing her best to keep some truth in this.

But Prue was too smart to be fooled. "She didn't go, did she?"

Piper sighed. "Prue, please don't give her a hard time. She's going through a lot. We all are. She's just trying to get through this the best way she knows how."

"By giving up her education and her future?" Prue shot back.

"No, by getting away from all the sympathetic looks. I got them all day Prue. I'm willing to bet that Paige did as well. It's hard to be around that all the time, and it's not like Grams's death is any big secret," Piper continued, fighting to keep her voice calm.

"Yeah, but..." Prue looked to be at a loss for what to say. Piper's heart went out to her.

"I know this isn't easy trying to be our guardian and our sister at the same time. But don't give Phoebe a hard time. It'll only push her further away. She needs time to deal with this," Piper went on.

Prue relaxed. "Okay. I will. But if she makes this a habit, I won't be able to ignore it."

"And I don't expect you give it time. She'll come around. We all will."

They stayed silent the rest of the way back to the manor, trying to find a way to bring some normalcy back into their lives.


	3. I Feel Safe In Your Arms

A/N: **PhoebeColefan: **Glad you like it. Btw, there's a great Phole moment at the end of this chapter, but don't skip! I promise this chapter is just as good! Lol.

**Lyra Cullen: **Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Hope you like the next chapter.

**patricia02052: **Thanks, that means a lot coming from you. Your story kind of inspired this one. I'm starting to read your others, but I'm afraid I'm a little pressed for time. But I promise I am reading! Hope that you keep reading this one!

Hopefully Walking Through Fire will be updated tomorrow. I am so sorry that I have taken so long, but it hasn't been forgotten, I swear!

* * *

_Chapter Three_

"Where do you think you're going?" Paige asked from the doorway to the room she shared with Phoebe.

Phoebe nearly jumped three feet in the air, her younger sister startling her half to death. "Paige! Get out of here!"

"No! It's my room, too!" Paige exclaimed, stomping into the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

Phoebe sighed and rolled her eyes. "You are so immature. And will you keep your voice down?"

Paige crossed her arms and furrowed her brows. "Why? Are you sneaking out again?"

"So what if I am?"

Paige stared at her incredulously. "So, what am I supposed to tell Prue if she comes in here? I'll get in trouble for letting you go!"

Phoebe stifled a laugh. "You won't get in trouble. It's not as if you could actually come _with _me!" She grabbed her black leather jacket and put it on, then took her purse off her bed and headed for the window.

"Wait! I want to come with!" Paige announced suddenly, crossing the room to her own bed and taking her blue jean jacket.

Phoebe stared at her younger sister in annoyance. "You can't come with, Paige."

"Why not?"

"Uh, maybe because I'm seeing _Cole _tonight, that's why," Phoebe replied, taking another step closer to the window.

"But Phoebe, that's not fair! You always sneak out and leave me here alone with Prue and Piper! Let me come with you just once! I swear I won't get in the way!" Paige whined, putting her arms in a pleading motion.

Phoebe half expected Paige to drop to her knees and start begging. She was glad when she didn't, though. It might have actually worked.

"I'm sorry Paige, but I can't. If Prue _did _find out, she'd bust me for taking you with me and then we'd both be in trouble. You have to cover for me, please?"

Paige frowned and looked genuinely pissed. "Oh, like that's _so _much better! I'm coming with! We could stop by Glen's on the way, that way we'd both be preoccupied."

Phoebe snorted. "You make it sound like we're going to a brothel!"

"Whatever, you know what I mean? Please, Phoebe? Just this once!" Paige grabbed Phoebe's arm and gave her the famous Paige Puppy Dog Stare.

But Phoebe was determined to win this particular argument. "Sorry, Paige. It's nothing personal, but Cole promised he'd take me somewhere today, and it's sort of going to be Our Spot. And it wouldn't be Our Spot if you were there."

When Paige's face fell, Phoebe added hastily, "I'll take you next time. I promise!"

"Seriously?" Paige looked doubtful.

Phoebe nodded. "Cross my heart."

Paige looked to the floor, then said hesitantly, "All right. I'll cover for you tonight."

"Thanks, Paigey! You're the best!" Phoebe threw her arms around her baby sister and used the nickname she and her sisters gave her when they were younger. Paige always said she hated it, but Phoebe knew better.

"Okay, but go before Prue catches you! And please don't miss curfew!" Paige exclaimed as Phoebe opened the window and began climbing out of it.

"Yes, Mom," she said sarcastically. She carefully maneuvered the tree just outside their window, and Paige watched with bated breath as Phoebe climbed down it like a pro. Paige breathed a sigh of relief once her older sister's feet hit the ground and ran to the end of the block where Paige happened to know that she and Cole met.

_Please let her get back here on time for once, _Paige silently prayed to the heavens before closing the window and taking off her jacket, throwing it back on her bed. Then she went to the phone that lay on the nightstand between her and Phoebe's beds. She figured that she might as well call Glen to get any homework that had been assigned since she had decided to follow in Phoebe's footsteps and ditch the first day.

* * *

"So are you and Leo going out tonight?" Prue inquired casually as she and Piper cleared the dinner plates away and placed them in the sink. Andy, much to Prue's surprise, had offered to do the dishes, so Prue thought that clearing the table was the least she could do.

"No. He has football practice," Piper answered.

"On the first day of school?" Prue countered.

"Uh, yeah. Football practice has been going on ever since summer. Where've you been?" Piper asked, looking at her older sister as though she were crazy.

Prue shook her head in disbelief. "I should've known that. After all, it hasn't been _that _long since I graduated high school."

"And as I recall, Andy was a varsity football player," Piper replied, her voice going higher and higher in a playful tone.

"Hey, don't remind me!" Andy called from the kitchen.

Prue and Piper laughed.

"Leo has practice Mondays and Thursday nights. We're planning on going out tomorrow night," Piper said, her voice serious again as she placed her stack of dirty plates on the counter by the sink.

"Oh really? What did you guys have in mind for a Tuesday night?" Prue inquired, putting her stack on top of Piper's.

Piper shrugged. "He hasn't told me, but it can't be anything too exciting. I mean, neither of us has jobs so it isn't as though we can afford to go anywhere besides Buddy's. Maybe we'll go bowling or something. Tuesday nights are pretty cheap, right?"

"How should I know? I haven't been bowling in ages, ever since..." Prue trailed off as the subject veered into forbidden territory. She had been about to say ever since their mother and father had taken her, Piper, and Phoebe when they were little before Paige had been born. It was one of the last family activities Prue could ever remember them having.

Piper didn't say anything, knowing what Prue had been about to say. "Well anyway, that's what we were thinking."

Prue nodded furtively, glad to take the conversation in any other direction. "Do you have homework?"

Piper groaned in agitation. "Only about ten pounds of it, all math. I'll probably be up all night doing it."

"Do you want any help?" Prue offered, though she knew Piper would say no. Prue was horrible at math.

Piper smiled knowingly. "I know you're trying really hard at this parent/older sister gig, but I know how much you hate math. I'll be fine."

Then she left the kitchen and headed upstairs, presumably to her room to begin on her homework.

Prue sighed. "Ever since I moved back in, it seems that all they do is lock themselves in their rooms and avoid me," she said to Andy.

She took a clean towel and started drying the dishes that Andy finished washing. Prue had never been any good at doing nothing.

"Just give it time. They're bound to stay up there more since they've got homework now that summer's over."

"No, I mean before that. Ever since we first moved in here," Prue stated, and an unwarranted flashback flittered through her memory.

_It was the afternoon after Grams' funeral. Prue had flown in from her university after she had agreed to act as guardian to her younger sisters. The social worker had said that if she didn't move back into the manor with her sisters, their father, Victor, would be given custody. And since Prue would rather have pulled her hair out than leave them with their dirtbag of a dad, she had agreed to transfer to the local community college. _

_Prue and Piper had both spoken at the funeral. Phoebe had turned down, and Paige hadn't been asked since she was so young. Prue had promised herself that she would be strong for her younger sisters, which was a good thing since they had all broken down. Piper had leaned heavily on Leo for support, as had Phoebe with Cole and Paige with Glen. _

_Prue hadn't cried once, not even when they'd watched Grams' coffin being lowered into the ground. And it was like her sisters saw that as a sign that she wasn't sad that their grandmother, the woman who had practically raised them since their mother died and their father left, was gone. _

_When they got back to the manor Prue had attempted to cheer them up. "We could watch a bunch of corny movies? I could make some popcorn and we'll all cuddle on the sofa like we used to do," she'd said, turning to face her red-faced sisters. _

_They had all glared at her as though she had said something completely offensive. Phoebe had been the first to speak. "No, thanks. I think I'm going to crash, it's been a long day," she'd said and hurried upstairs to her room. _

"_Me, too. I'm exhausted. Maybe tomorrow night," Paige said, though Prue knew she hadn't meant it. She followed Phoebe upstairs to the room that they would now be sharing since Prue had moved back in. _

_Prue then turned to Piper. "How about it? Up for a Cary Grant movie?" _

_Piper smiled, trying to be strong, though Prue knew she was close to tears again. "I'm sorry, Prue, but I can't. I...I think I just need to be alone right now." _

_Her voice cracked at this last sentence, and she ran upstairs to her own room, doing her best to stifle her sobs._

Prue blinked that awful day out of her mind, pushing it as far away as she could. Then she plastered on a fake smile so that Andy wouldn't suspect anything had happened.

"Just be patient. I'm sure your Grams was going through the same thing with you guys when your..."

"I know. We certainly didn't make it any easier for her. But we came around eventually. They will again," Prue interrupted, not wanting another painful flashback.

Andy smiled as he pulled the plug from the sink, allowing the dishwater to go down the drain. Then he dried his hands and wrapped his arms around Prue's neck. "You're doing great, you know. You'll make an excellent mom someday."

Prue laughed. "Let's wait until Paige gets to college and I get my bachelor's degree and you become a police officer. Then we'll see."

Andy let out a laugh of his own. "Well I certainly wasn't talking about tonight. Although maybe...we could get some practice."

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"As long as you promise not to make any noise. It's awkward with my sisters just down the hall," Prue said sternly.

"I'll do my best," Andy murmured as he started planting kisses on Prue's neck.

"All right. Let's go," Prue said, giving in. She took his hand and led him up the stairs into their room.

* * *

Phoebe hated feeling so vulnerable. She considered taking her blindfold off and just demand Cole to tell her where they were going, but she didn't want to spoil his fun. So she went along with it and hoped desperately that they would get there soon.

"Are we almost there?" she asked. It didn't hurt to ask.

"Almost. Just hold on a little longer," Cole replied, gently guiding her through the cold night air to their destination.

It was apparent that Cole was excited about wherever he was taking her. He had wanted to take her earlier that day but they had run out of time. They'd gone to the mall for lack of anywhere else to go, avoiding any truant officers who might be on the lookout for students playing hooky.

"Almost there. Watch where you step," Cole said, slowing them down to a pause as he opened what could only be a door.

"Cole, I'm blindfolded. I can't really watch _anything, _let alone where I step!" Phoebe exclaimed, causing Cole to laugh.

"Sorry, Phoebe. You can take it off now. We're here."

Phoebe gratefully threw Cole's handkerchief over her head and took a look around.

But she was taken aback by what she saw.

It was a dark, dank room and there were grave markers everywhere with a couple coffins in the center. Phoebe knew that they could only be in a graveyard of some kind. She didn't know quite what to make of it.

"Cole? What are we doing in a cemetery?" she asked.

"We aren't in a cemetery. We're in a mausoleum. More specifically, my family's mausoleum. It goes back all the way to the 1800s," Cole replied, not looking uncomfortable at all by their location.

"That's impressive, I guess, but I don't really know what to think about it," Phoebe said dryly, looking around and wanting nothing more than to leave.

"But why? I thought you were the type of girl who wasn't put of by things like this," Cole argued.

"I'm not."

"Then what's the big deal?"

"Because I can't handle it right now, okay? We just buried Grams less than three months ago, and I'm still trying to get over it!" Phoebe snapped, unwanted tears fighting their way to the surface.

Cole gulped, his agitated look disappearing and replaced by one of guilt. "I'm sorry, Phoebe. I didn't think..."

Phoebe sighed. "It's okay. I've been putting on a brave face, you know? For Paige, and Piper. It was stupid of me to think that you could've seen past that."

"Hey," Cole said gently, cupping his hand underneath Phoebe's chin. "You don't have to keep a brave face. It's okay to show a little vulnerability sometimes. No one expects you to move on in the blink of an eye, and it was dumb of me to assume you had."

Phoebe smiled appreciatively. "Maybe we should go home and come up with someplace else for Our Place."

"Agreed."

Phoebe led them out of the Turner family mausoleum and considered putting her blindfold back on.

"Want to come to my place for a while? My parents wouldn't mind it if you came," Cole offered.

Phoebe smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. My parents love you."

"That's because they don't know me."

"Well they love me which means they love you, too," Cole argued.

Phoebe laughed. "Well, at least your family doesn't judge me before they know me. I wish I could say the same thing about mine."

Cole shrugged. "Your sisters are just really protective of you. When they're sure that I would never do anything to hurt you, they'll come around."

As Cole and Phoebe leaned in closer to each other, Phoebe found her thoughts wandering to her mother. Though they had never gotten the chance to know each other, Phoebe had heard plenty of stories from Prue and Grams. They made her out to be a caring, understanding person who never judged a person before she got to know them.

"I'm sure my mom would have loved you," she said casually as they walked down to Cole's house.

"Really?"

Phoebe nodded into Cole's chest. "Really. I mean, come on. She married my father, didn't she?"

"Ouch. That hurt," Cole stated sarcastically.

Phoebe laughed and playfully hit his chest. "I'm serious. My dad is kind of a dead beat."

"I hope you don't think that about me."

"Cole! That's not what I meant!"

Cole laughed and hugged Phoebe closer to him. "I know. Just messing with you."

When they got to the Turner house, Cole's mother greeted them cheerfully from the living room. Mr. Turner didn't say anything, but that was because he was asleep on the couch.

"Hello, Phoebe. Did you already eat something? There's leftover spaghetti on the stove," Mrs. Turner said.

Phoebe nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Turner. My sister fixed dinner before I left."

Mrs. Turner didn't really look convinced but she let it go. Cole told her that they would be in his room and she nodded, turning back to the television show she'd been watching.

Phoebe looked at Cole's parents and wondered whether, had things turned out differently, her parents would have been like that. Though she hadn't met either of them, she liked to imagine her mother being as nice and caring as Cole's mother, and her father to fall asleep in front of the TV, a result from a stressful day from work.

But she brushed these stray thoughts aside as they entered Cole's strangely pristine bedroom. His bed was neatly made, there were no dirty clothes anywhere, no paper out of place. There wasn't even a speck of dirt on his dresser.

"Want to watch TV or something?" Cole asked, sitting down on his bed.

"Sure." Phoebe took off her shoes and jacket, then joined him on the bed, settling comfortably in his arms.

Cole turned the TV on and he flipped absently through the channels. Phoebe didn't think either of them were paying any attention to what was on. She just knew that she was really, really tired all of a sudden.

She closed her eyes for just a moment, leaning closer into Cole's chest, taking advantage of just how safe she felt in his arms. How protective he was.

And just like that, they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	4. Morning Drama

A/N: I am soooo sorry for the late update. School has just been crazy. Hope everyone is still reading. Hopefully there will be more updates within the following days.

**PhoebeColefan: **More Phoebe/Cole coming up! Please don't skip! You're missing good story if you do!

**patricia02052: **Thank you, it's so nice to hear from you. I'm glad that you think the characters are in character. I try really hard and sometimes think I'm way off base. Anyway, hopefully I'll be getting back to your stories soon (btw I AM reading!) Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint!

**Lyra Cullen: **Thank you! Hopefully you'll like this chapter as well! Sorry for the late update.

* * *

_Chapter Four_

When Prue woke up the next morning, the first thing she noticed was Andy's arm dangling lazily against her hip. She smiled, not wanting to move and risk waking him up. He was so peaceful when he was sleeping.

As if her thoughts were acting as an alarm clock, Andy stirred and stretched. Prue felt his arm muscle tighten as he stretched it as it continued to stay on her hip. She hid a smile.

"Good morning," she said as she turned around to face him.

Andy smiled, sleep still in his eyes. "Morning. Did you sleep well?"

"The best. It was so quiet last night. It was like no one was even home," Prue replied. She had thought this was suspicious at the time, and still did now, but she decided she didn't care at the moment. No one had called saying they were in trouble. And it was a school night. What could have possibly happened?

Andy laughed. "Maybe no one _was _home. They're teenagers. Sneaking off is what they do. I know we sure did."

Prue rolled her eyes at the memory but smiled nonetheless. "That's not the point." She sat up and willed herself to get out of bed. "Same as yesterday? You get Paige and Phoebe, I get Piper?"

"Sure." Andy followed her out of bed and threw on the closest t-shirt by the bed then left the room, dragging his feet as he went.

Prue put on her robe then walked the short distance to Piper's room. She knocked once gently then said softly, "Piper? Are you up?"

She heard a muffled groan.

Prue took this as a sign that Piper was somewhere between sleep and consciousness, so she opened the door just slightly and peeked her head inside.

"Piper? Are you up?" she asked again.

"No," Piper groaned, turning in the bed.

Prue smiled sympathetically. "You're going to have to get up. You'll be late for school and what kind of example would that be for Phoebe?"

"I don't care. It's not like she goes to school on a regular basis anyway," Piper replied.

Piper must have been tired if she was betraying Phoebe to Prue. But Prue decided not to act on it since this was no secret.

"Just hurry, okay?" Prue said gently, then closed the door. Piper would get up. She was responsible enough to be trusted. She was about to go downstairs to the kitchen when Andy came up behind her, looking worried.

"What is it?" she asked, immediately sensing that something was wrong.

"It's Phoebe. She didn't come home last night," Andy breathed, his eyes filled with concern.

Prue's heart lurched. "What do you mean? She didn't even leave."

Of course Prue knew this to be false as soon as she'd said them. She'd been right in assuming that the house had been too quiet last night. Phoebe had been acting even more...like Phoebe than usual yesterday. How could she have missed it?

Prue followed Andy to Phoebe and Paige's room. Paige was already up, her hands to her face, looking guilty as ever.

Prue immediately rounded on her.

"Paige? Where's Phoebe?" Prue demanded.

"I don't know, I swear!" Paige exclaimed.

Prue closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. It was just too early to deal with this. "What do you mean you don't know? You share a room with her, Paige! Did you go to bed last night and just not notice that Phoebe's bed was empty?" she snapped, a little more forceful than she had intended.

Paige looked close to tears. "No! She said she was going out last night, but I made her promise to be back by curfew! I went to bed early last night and just assumed she would wake me up when she got back! That's what she always does."

"Well, she didn't come home last night. Are you sure you don't know where she was going? Maybe who she was with?" Prue asked, determined not to blame her youngest sister for Phoebe being missing.

Paige blushed. "Promise you won't get mad?"

Prue crossed her arms and waited.

Paige took a slow breath before answering. "She was going to meet Cole."

Prue inhaled sharply. That made two nights in a row that she had snuck out of the house and Prue didn't know about it. Either Prue was really bad at this guardian thing, or Phoebe was really good at being rebellious.

When she spoke again, she was surprised by how calm she sounded. "Do you know Cole's phone number? Or maybe his address?" she asked Paige.

Paige shook her head. "No. Phoebe never told me."

"Great."

Prue turned on her heel and left the room, Andy right behind her.

"What are you going to do?" he asked as he followed her back into their room.

Prue headed toward the closet and fished out a black tank top and shorts. "What does it look like? I'm going to go out and find them."

"But you don't know where he lives, not to mention there's no guarantee that Cole and Phoebe are even at his house," Andy pointed out.

Prue pushed away the visual that came with that statement and tried not to imagine Phoebe lying dead in a ditch somewhere.

"But I can't just sit here and wait for her to come home," Prue argued. She put on her closest pair of flip flops and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She had decided to forgo brushing her hair since there really was no point.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Andy offered. He knew it would be useless to argue with Prue any further since she had already made up her mind.

But Prue shook her head. "No, you need to stay here in case she calls. Plus, Piper and Paige need rides to school."

"Can you call me when you find her?" Andy asked. He was trying to keep his voice light, but there was no mistaking the tension laced in his words.

Prue managed a small smile. "I promise."

She rinsed her mouth out and placed her dark blue toothbrush next to Andy's red one. Then she walked past her boyfriend and back into the room. She grabbed her purse. She was about to head downstairs to the door, then remembered what she had forgotten.

She turned around and planted a quick yet passionate kiss on his lips.

"Don't come back without her," Andy called behind her.

_That's the plan, _Prue thought angrily to herself as she left the manor.

* * *

"Phoebe! Wake up!" Cole's surprised voice what made Phoebe open her eyes, not the words themselves. At first she'd thought she was back in her bed at Halliwell Manor, but as she took in her surroundings, the events of the previous night came rushing back to her.

And she realized they had fallen asleep.

"Oh shit! What time is it?" Phoebe asked as she made her way frantically off Cole's bed and started gathering her things.

"Seven," Cole replied ominously.

Phoebe's heart thumped wildly in her chest. Prue was going to kill her. There was no way she would ever be able to talk her way out of this one. She was probably already up and had already found out that she hadn't slept in her bed.

"I can't believe my parents didn't wake us up!" Cole stated as he threw off his shirt and pulled on a new one from out of his closet. Then he did the same thing with his jeans.

Phoebe turned her head away. She was wondering the same thing, but then figured that his parents assumed that she had already left.

"Would they be pissed if they found out I stayed here all night?" Phoebe asked as she put her shoes back on. She ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to straighten it out, but knew it was a lost cause as soon as she started.

Cole shook his head. "No, I'm pretty sure they'd let you move in if you wanted."

Phoebe frowned in surprise. "Why?"

"Because..." he looked reluctant to say what he was about to say.

Phoebe raised one eyebrow at him expectantly and motioned for him to say more. "Because...why?"

Cole took a deep breath. "Because they don't see your sister as a fit guardian," he admitted.

Phoebe's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"What do you want me to say, Phoebe? It isn't my opinion, it's my parents. Well, more of my mother's than my father's. But that is any of that relevant right now? We're about to be in serious trouble," Cole said desperately, motioning to the door as if afraid they could be seen through it.

As if on cue, Phoebe's cell phone vibrated on the bed. She glanced at it uneasily, already knowing who was calling.

Prue's number flashed at her menacingly.

"Are you going to answer that?"

"No way."

"If you don't, Prue might think you're lying dead in a ditch somewhere," Cole pointed out.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and stuffed the phone in her her back jeans pocket. "Better than her getting all worked up. Look, I'm going to leave through your window. If we're lucky, your parents won't even know I stayed over."

She headed for the window. Almost as an afterthought, she turned her attention back to him as she started climbing out the window. "I won't tell her I was with you."

Cole smiled despite himself. "Why not?"

Phoebe met his smile with one of her own. "Because then she won't let us see each other anymore."

"Since when did that matter?"

Phoebe shrugged. "It's the principle of the thing. I'll see you at school. Although, if I don't show up, it'll probably be because Prue actually killed me."

Cole laughed and Phoebe worked her way out of the window.

* * *

Piper rubbed her temples in agitation. She _so _wasn't in the mood to deal with all this. Paige was acting as though she were walking on eggshells around her and Andy, afraid she might get yelled at even more by them. Prue had already left the house in an infuriated frenzy, slamming the front door so hard behind her that Piper thought for one fleeting moment that it would rock the foundation of the house.

But Piper wasn't going to yell at Paige. She knew that Phoebe had talked her into covering for her. It wasn't her fault that Phoebe hadn't come home.

Honestly, Piper had more important problems than her sisters. Like her homework, particularly math. She had been up until two in the morning finishing the assignment from hell, and now she felt as though she needed twelve cups of coffee just to get her through the day.

She had to admit that she was tempted to follow in Phoebe's footsteps and ditch. Maybe, once Andy and Prue were out of the house, she could sneak back in and get some extra sleep. She could definitely use some more. But of course it was out of the question. She would never be able to live with herself.

She glanced at the digital clock on the microwave. 7:45. Suppressing a sigh, she put her coffee cup in the sink and walked into the entryway, grabbing her backpack. Then, to her horror, she realized that she would never make it to the high school in time if she walked. Prue was out searching for Phoebe, and Andy was too busy dealing with Paige to give her a ride. But when she glanced out the window, she saw that Prue's Mazda was parked in the driveway.

Had her older sister really leave and not take her car? It seemed too good to be true.

Before Piper could change her mind, she grabbed Prue's car keys and left.

When she got there, the student parking lot was nearly full, but Piper managed to find a spot near the back. She parked and took her backpack, locking the car behind her as she ran to get to the main building.

As she raced up the steps, the bell rang, signaling that first period was about to begin. She slowed down when she realized that she wasn't as late as she had first thought herself to be.

She entered the classroom just as the last bell rang. She avoided the teacher's gaze as she took her seat.

"I assume you all had no problems with the homework last night," the teacher began.

Half the class groaned. Piper turned around and met Leo's eye. He looked as tired as she felt, and she wished that they were sitting together.

"Any questions?" the teacher asked, ignoring the groans.

A few others asked questions. Piper didn't pay attention since it had come quite easily to her. Instead, her mind drifted to Leo. She hadn't known just how much she missed him last night. She would have called him, but her homework had taken her well into the night so she never had a chance.

When the class was over Piper stuffed her math notebook into her backpack. Leo came up to her as he had the previous day, only this time Piper was ready for him. She zipped her backpack up and stood up, pulling her backpack over her shoulders as she did so.

She smiled up at him. "Hey."

"Hey."

They walked together out of the classroom and into the mob of students in the hallways. Out of the corner of her eye, Piper saw Phoebe walking by herself, her eyes glued to the floor as she went. This was highly unusual, and if Leo wasn't with her, Piper might have gone after her, figuring that something had happened last night that wasn't supposed to happen. Or maybe Prue found her and gave her hell.

But she didn't want to say anything in front of Leo. Her life was enough of a mess as it was. She didn't want him thinking less of her because of it.

So she pretended nothing was wrong and they walked to their next classes.

"So do you want me to call tonight? Or better yet, do you want to come over? My mom is making lasagna, and we could help each other with calculus," Leo offered as they managed to weave around students.

Piper nodded, trying not to sound too eager. "Yes. I was up until two in the morning finishing Mr. Blair's assignment."

"Me too. It would probably take us half the time if we did it together. Maybe if we finish early enough..." Leo trailed off.

Piper giggled. "Leo. We're in public."

"So what?" The next thing she knew, his lips were to hers. Everything else melted away, and she was only aware of the two of them standing together. This happened every time Leo kissed her. He made her feel as though they were the only two people in the world, and she never wanted that feeling to go away.

When he pulled away she felt a small stab of disappointment. Leo met her in the eye, looking apologetic. "I'll see you at lunch," he promised and disappeared inside his second period class.

Piper nodded even though he was already gone and turned into her own classroom.

* * *

"I'm going to kill her."

Prue stormed into Halliwell Manor, making her way into the kitchen. She didn't care that she had class in an hour; she needed a strong drink.

She was only briefly aware of Andy behind her, following her briskly. She was surprised that he wasn't in training, but didn't voice this aloud. Quite frankly, she was too infuriated to take her mind off of the matter at hand.

"I take it you found her?" Andy asked grimly.

Prue nodded. She was seeing white she was so angry. "Yes, I did. At Cole's. The little brat spent the _night _at his _house! _Can you believe that? In his bed! And his parents were just next door!"

"Did they know she spent the night?"

"I don't know, and quite honestly, I don't care. They had to have known she was there! And they didn't even have the decency to _call! _What kind of parents do they think they are?" Prue thundered. She opened the refrigerator door, looking for any sort of alcohol, then realized in a blinding fury that they didn't have any.

She would just have to settle for a Pepsi.

Andy looked as though he didn't want to talk about this any further, but he was the next person to speak. "If they had known Phoebe was going to spend the night, I'm sure they would have. Called, I mean. But the important thing is that she's okay."

Prue was fuming, but she tried to calm down. Andy was right. And of course she was grateful that Phoebe was okay and not hurt. But that just made her even angrier for Phoebe to put her through the pain of not knowing.

"I know," she mumbled, looking down at the white marble countertop.

"So where is she now? At school?" Andy asked.

Prue nodded. "Yeah. Speaking of which, I should head out. Do you not have training today?"

Andy shook his head, looking relieved for the change of subject. "It was cancelled. Do you want me to pick up your sisters after school?"

Prue's relief was so great she thought she was going to collapse from it. "That would be great. Thank you so much."

She kissed him tenderly before gathering all the things she would need for her classes, then left, only then realizing that her car was gone.

Sighing, she shuffled to the end of the block to the bus stop.


End file.
